Why Engagement Sessions Are So Much More Than Just Photos
Why Engagement Sessions Are So Much More Than Just Photos
A love-filled guide for couples who value connection, intention, and emotion.
You’re newly engaged — congratulations!
You’re probably already dreaming about your wedding, your dress or suit, and maybe even what country you’ll be saying your vows in. But before we get swept up in planning the big day, there’s one often-overlooked experience that sets the tone for everything:
your engagement session.
As a Virginia-based film photographer and Super 8 wedding filmmaker, I’ve seen just how transformative an engagement session can be. It’s not just a cute photoshoot. It’s your first chance to pause, soak it in, and celebrate you two — without timelines, guests, or expectations.
Here’s why I believe every couple deserves an engagement session, especially if you’re planning a destination wedding or elopement.
1. It’s a Chance to Be Fully Present
Wedding planning can feel like a whirlwind of decisions, emails, and Pinterest boards. Your engagement session is your moment to step away from the chaos and just be together. To feel the joy. To breathe it all in. To remember why you're doing this in the first place.
I often shoot engagement sessions at locations that are meaningful or scenic — the beach at golden hour, a mountaintop with the wind in your hair, a quiet street in the city where you had your first date. These are the places where your love story unfolds. Let’s capture that, beautifully.
2. Get Comfortable in Front of the Camera
If you’re even a little camera-shy, an engagement session is the ultimate warm-up.
It’s a low-pressure way for you to get used to how I work, how I direct, and how I help you look and feel like yourselves on camera. It’s a time for us to laugh, move around, try things, and build trust — so when your wedding day comes, it feels like a friend is showing up with a camera, not a stranger.
Bonus? You’ll feel way more relaxed when it’s time for portraits on your wedding day.
3. Tell More of Your Story
Your wedding photos will tell the story of your marriage — but your engagement session tells the story of your love.
That quiet Saturday morning kind of love. The coffee shop dates. The hand squeezes when no one’s watching. The road trips and inside jokes and “this is home” kind of feeling.
By documenting this season in a more casual, everyday setting, you’ll be able to look back and remember who you were at the start — full of hope and excitement for what’s ahead.
4. Incorporate Film + Super 8 for a Nostalgic Touch
I shoot many engagement sessions on 35mm film, and even offer Super 8 video add-ons if you want something totally unique and emotionally rich.
Film brings a softness, intention, and timeless quality that digital can’t replicate. You get imagery that feels nostalgic from the moment it’s captured — grainy in the best way, like a memory already lived.
And if you opt for a Super 8 engagement film, you’ll receive a short vintage-style video that captures movement, emotion, and light in a way that brings you to tears (in the best way). It’s perfect for:
Save-the-dates
Wedding websites
Playing during your reception
Or just treasuring forever
5. Create Photos You’ll Actually Use
Sure, your wedding portraits are important. But your engagement photos? These are the ones you’ll hang in your home, use for your wedding website, save-the-dates, or even frame as gifts.
I guide you toward moments that feel natural — a forehead kiss, a spin under golden light, the way you brush her hair behind her ear. It’s less “look at the camera” and more “feel the moment.”
6. Celebrate This Season of Life
Your engagement isn’t just a waiting room for the wedding. It’s a season worth remembering.
There’s magic in this chapter — the “we’re about to do this” part of your journey. You deserve to have that documented in a way that’s artful, emotional, and honest. That’s what I do.
How I Approach Engagement Sessions
I photograph engagement sessions with a documentary eye and a nostalgic heart. I’ll guide you when needed, but never over-pose. I use film and digital photography, and can incorporate Super 8 video to create a timeless, layered keepsake of this season.
Whether we’re running barefoot through a field in Virginia, slow dancing on a rooftop, or walking hand-in-hand down the cobblestone streets of a European village — my goal is to capture your love as it is.
Ready to Book Your Engagement Session?
📍 I’m Brittany — a film photographer and Super 8 filmmaker based in Virginia, traveling worldwide for couples who value intentional, emotional storytelling.
Whether you're planning an elopement in Europe, a wedding in the mountains, or something totally your own — your story deserves to be remembered from start to finish.
💌 Click here to inquire and receive my engagement session guide.
